King Lear1917

The King has left his kingdom in the hands of his two power-hungry daughters. Heartbroken over the behavior of his children, he retreats to a cave and his youngest daughter, the only faithful one, brings her armies to his rescue. There is a battle and the army of King Lear and his daughter are vanquished. After a clash of the enemy leaders, King Lear and his daughter are to be released, but she has died, and the King is overcome in his grief. It seems strange now that silent versions of Shakespeare's plays were ever attempted, but they frequently were throughout the 1910s. This filming of King Lear had the advantage of starring Frederick Warde, who had played King Lear many times on stage. Warde also made an effort to act for the camera and give some meaning to his gesticulations. This print of KING LEAR is the longest version presently available and presented for this reason despite its poor picture quality and unconventional soundtrack.

Member Reviews (1)

A superior adaptation of Shakespeare in silent and condensed form. Good use of close-ups that shows intense Victorian Style acting, lavishly expensive clothes and varied sets. I can't believe they spelled Gloucester as Gloster in the intertitles. Fie! Fie! You servile knaves!